What Does the Name Bo Mean?

Bo is a unisex name of Scandinavian (Old Norse) origin meaning “to live, to dwell.”

Updated June 2026

Name	Bo
Gender	unisex
Origin	Scandinavian (Old Norse)
Meaning	to live, to dwell
Variants	Beau, Bow, Boe
Popularity	A short, punchy name used in the U.S. for both boys and girls, generally within the top 300 to 500; long common in Denmark and the Netherlands.

The meaning and origin of Bo

The name Bo means “to live, to dwell” and has Scandinavian (Old Norse) origins. A Scandinavian name from the Old Norse byname Bui, related to bua meaning 'to live' or 'to dwell.' It also exists independently as a Chinese given name with various meanings (such as 'wave') depending on the character used.

Variants and related names

Bo is related to several other names you may recognize: Beau, Bow, Boe. These share a common root or are spelling and language variants of the same name.

How popular is the name Bo?

A short, punchy name used in the U.S. for both boys and girls, generally within the top 300 to 500; long common in Denmark and the Netherlands.

Popularity matters when you need believable test data: a name that fits the era or region you are modeling makes a generated profile look real. You can generate a complete fictional profile using the name Bo below.

Generate a fake Bo profile

Need a complete fictional identity using the name Bo? Generate a full profile — address, phone, email and more — for testing and privacy.